In a silver halide photographic material, photographic emulsion layers or other layers are often colored for the purpose of absorbing a light of a specific wavelength. A colored layer is provided on the side farther than emulsion layer(s) from the support for controlling the incident amount of light of photographic emulsion layers. Further, for preventing halation, a colored layer is provided between the emulsion layer and the support or on the side of the support opposite to the side on which emulsion layers are provided. In the case of a multilayer color photographic material, such a colored layer may be provided intermediately. In an X-ray photographic material, in some case, a colored layer is provided as a crossover-cut filter for reducing crossover light. An emulsion layer may be colored for the prevention of irradiation caused by light scattering in an emulsion layer. Moreover, for adjusting the tint of a photographic material after being development processed or investing detectability for various optical sensors, any of the layers can be colored.
Dispersion of solid dyes which satisfy these conditions described above are known such as those disclosed in JP-A-56-12639 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), JP-A-55-155350, JP-A-55-155351, JP-A-52-92716, JP-A-63-197943, JP-A-63-27838, JP-A-64-40827, EP-B-15601, EP-A-276566 and WO 88/4794. These dispersions can be prepared easily using dispersing aids and it is known that they can prevent precipitation and agglomeration of dyes after dispersion during storage. Sodium alkylphenoxyethoxyethylenesulfonates and alkylnaphthalenesulfonate are well known as specific examples thereof.
A method capable of finely graining a dye slurry of the highest possible concentration within a limited range of time is indispensable for effectively dispersing a dye. However, fine grain dispersion is difficult to obtain within a limited time with the conventionally known dispersing aids, sometimes rough grains remain, or sufficient absorbance cannot be obtained, that is, the width of absorbance is broad. Further, when a dye becomes a solid of fine grains, as is thought probably due to the solubilization of the dispersing aid which is used, the diffusibility (fixing capability) of the dispersion in a photographic material is deteriorated and the fixing capability of the dye is deteriorated. There is also another problem such that when foams are liable to be generated, grains are often hardly dispersed because of the creamy foams. From the above, a dispersion having satisfactory absorbance while maintaining sufficient fixing capability has been desired.
It has been desired in recent years to use dyes which are substantially not removed from the photographic material by the processing solution (hereinafter referred to as "non-dissolving out dyes"), for the reduction of replenishing rate of processing solutions and rapid processing. In particular, a dye dispersion having sufficient absorbance and fixing capability satisfying detectability for various optical sensors as well has been desired. However, it has been difficult to obtain a dispersion having satisfactory properties with the conventionally used dispersing aids.